After Iowa, Another Victory for Gay Marriage in Vermont

Our daily look at stories and topics that are lighting up the Internets:

Another Victory for Gay Marriage

Yesterday, Vermont became the first state to legalize gay marriage through a legislature's vote, overriding the governor's veto of a bill to allow same-sex marriage starting September 1. Add this development to last week's Iowa ruling and you get a bunch of happy liberals (more than a few conservatives were happy, too). Andrew Sullivan quotes this celebratory post, where liberal A.L. writes the Vermont vote is "an enormous milestone in the movement for marriage equality and one that highlights the fast pace at which this issue is moving." Sullivan offers one of his many takes on the debate here. Liberal Steve Benen is happy too, turning his focus to the "unpersuasive" conservative arguments against same-sex marriage. "What I find especially amusing about this [talking point] is the notion that men and women will stop getting married if same-sex couples start getting married," he writes. "The irony is, the surest way to destroy a civilization is to put a population against itself and have elected officials start refusing to follow the rule of law." Conservative Jesse Walker is happy as well: "The government of Vermont now acknowledges an institution that ordinary Vermonters have recognized for ages. Welcome to the club, guys." Plus, the Washington Post posts this online debate on the future of gay marriage.

Our Great Depression?

Over at the Economist's Free exchange blog, one blogger notes the debate shaping up between Richard Posner and Kevin Drum over a new book by Robert Shiller. Posner writes: "The idea that monetary policy—raising interest rates... to check inflation, and lowering interest rates to check economic downturns—holds the key to moderating the business cycle, and therefore to preventing depressions as well as inflations, has been falsified." To which Drum responds: the "problem is that we've really only tried half of Posner's prescription.... And he's right that it hasn't been enough." Free exchange's take: "I find it hard to believe that Mr. Posner thinks monetary policy has played no mitigating role in the downturn to date." Joe Windish argues that we're in the midst of a depression with this chart, noting that "we may be in one for a while before the pros get around to acknowledging it." Barry Eichengreen and Kevin O'Rourke argue the point further. And conservative blogger Yevgeny Volk draws lessons on combating an economic crisis from Russia's financial policy.

... Meanwhile ...

And the tiger shall lay down with: the piglet?... Italian PM stops paying attention to the words coming out of his mouth... Obama to host a Passover seder tonight in the White House... And we're still trying to understand this how-could-it-not-be-racist Turkish newscast on Obama.